China’s military has conducted a large-scale exercise around the eastern Asian island of Taiwan. According to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the units conducted the exercise on Wednesday in the middle and southern parts of the Taiwan Strait, the waterway between China and Taiwan. The aim was to train for precise attacks on important targets and joint blockades of the island, said Major General Shi Yi of the Eastern Command.
The exercises follow a recent escalation of Chinese rhetoric against Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, whom China has referred to as a “parasite” as well as the visit of US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth to Asia, who has repeatedly criticized Beijing.
China has repeatedly referred to Lai as a “separatist.” Lai, who won the latest election in Taiwan and took office last year, rejects China’s claims of sovereignty and asserts that only the Taiwanese people can decide their future. The Taiwanese stock market index (.TWII) fell briefly after the exercise, but closed with a 0.1% gain.
The Chinese maritime safety authority announced a shipping ban due to military exercises from late Tuesday to Thursday evening in an area off the north coast of the eastern province of Zhejiang, more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Taiwan. A high-ranking Taiwanese defense official told Reuters that the area is outside Taiwan’s “reaction zone.”
China’s military has published a video, likely from a live firing exercise, showing the launch of rockets and the hitting of targets on land. An animation of explosions over Taiwanese cities such as Tainan, Hualien and Taichung, which all have military bases and ports, is also visible.
The aircraft carrier Shandong reportedly took part in the exercises east of Taiwan, which focused on integrated operations between the sea and air forces and a “multidimensional blockade and control” according to China’s military.
A high-ranking Taiwanese security official told Reuters that more than 10 Chinese warships were found in Taiwan’s “reaction zone” on Wednesday morning and the Chinese coast guard was participating in the exercises with “intimidation” tactics.
The exercise, according to Beijing, serves as a warning and deterrent to Taiwan’s “independence forces.” Taiwan’s foreign ministry and President Lai condemned the maneuver.
China’s recent pressure on Taiwan also included a call for reports on separatist activities to be sent by email last week.
Chiu Chui-cheng, the head of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Development, which is responsible for China policy, said that, in light of the increasing risk of travel to China, people should carefully consider the necessity of such trips, even to Hong Kong and Macao.